The views of “Matsukiyo,” as the drugstore chain is commonly known, are the latest contribution to the debate that has emerged in recent months over which drugs under what conditions can be sold online.

That followed a Supreme Court ruling in January that it was illegal to stipulate only stores with pharmacists on hand could sell higher-risk drugs with potentially strong side effects over the counter. The ministry is expected to come up with new rules soon in line with the ruling.

“An accident will surely happen. The key is how the nation will ensure the safety of the people,” he said.

On the opposite side of the issue is Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and chief executive of Japan’s biggest online retailer Rakuten Inc. He and others argue that looser restrictions on online sales of over-the-counter drugs would give more options to consumers who can’t physically get to drugstores.

The debate comes at a sensitive time for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose economic policies have so far enjoyed solid support with the general public.

Yet some businesses and trade organizations may see looser regulations on pharmaceuticals as a threat, causing them to ratchet up their lobbying against the prime minister’s policies ahead of a critical upper house election expected in July.

But Mr. Matsumoto, for one, hasn’t dug his trenches too deeply just yet.

“There are certainly some advantages to the Internet,” he said. “I’m hoping we’ll be able to reach a compromise.”

About Japan Real Time

Japan Real Time is a newsy, concise guide to what works, what doesn’t and why in the one-time poster child for Asian development, as it struggles to keep pace with faster-growing neighbors while competing with Europe for Michelin-rated restaurants. Drawing on the expertise of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires, the site provides an inside track on business, politics and lifestyle in Japan as it comes to terms with being overtaken by China as the world’s second-biggest economy. You can contact the editors at japanrealtime@wsj.com